Eggplant Nikumiso

Sometimes, I see a picture of a dish on a restaurant's Yelp page and decide I'm going to make it without even trying it first.  It probably isn't the best approach to try to recreate something you haven't even tasted, but the upside is that you might end up with something completely new based on improvisation.

Chances are my Eggplant Nikumiso isn't all that close to the version from Osawa that inspired it, but I think I still wound up with a pretty solid meaty dish to serve over rice. 

Nikumiso is a Japanese meat and miso dish that's often served over rice or used as a dipping sauce for vegetables.  It's the kind of salty, rich food that needs something plain to go with it, which in this case is helped by the eggplant that's there to soak up all of the savory flavors.  It usually has ground pork or chicken (like in this recipe), but I used turkey out of pure convenience and think it turned out just fine.

Eggplant Nikumiso
3 Japanese or Italian eggplants, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb ground turkey (or pork/chicken)
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 cup shiitake mushroom, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup yellow miso
1/4 cup sake
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp doubanjiang
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

Stir together miso, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and doubanjiang, and set aside.

Heat wok over high heat until smoke starts to form.  Add sesame oil, then add garlic, carrot, and onion.  Stir fry 2-3 min until carrot and onion start to soften.  Add ground meat and continue to cook until browned.  Add shiitake mushrooms and cook 1-2 min until they start to soften.  Add sauce and coat meat/veggies thoroughly.  Simmer until sauce starts to thicken, about 3 min.

Preheat oven to 400° F.  Add eggplants to cast iron skillet or other oven-safe dish.  Top with nikumiso and stir to coat thoroughly.  

Bake eggplant with nikumiso for 25 min, stirring once halfway through to ensure eggplant is thoroughly coated.  Eggplant should be soft and tender from soaking up the nikumiso juices.  Top with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve over rice.